Press Releases pre-May 2010

The Legal Services Commission (LSC) and Wakefield Council have launched a tender to find the right organisation or consortium of organisations to run a new Community Legal Advice Service in Wakefield.  

To open this September, the Service is set to benefit thousands in the borough with over £3 million being invested in its first three years.  This represents a significant increase on current expenditure on legal services and a real central and local government commitment to tackling the legal needs of the community.   

The contract winner will deliver a full range of social welfare law services, covering: community care, debt, employment, housing and welfare benefits issues.  It will also provide help with a variety of family matters from divorce, relationship breakdown and child issues to domestic abuse. 

To ensure that people can get most, if not all, the civil legal help they need from the new centre, the service will require the contract winner to provide a full service range – from basic advice to legal representation for the most complex cases.  This responds to research that shows that many people who are referred on to other services, frequently give up trying to resolve their problems.   

The service will be centrally located in Wakefield to ensure that most people can easily pop in if they have a problem.  However, the exact location will depend on the outcome of the tender.  The contract winner will also be expected to run out-reach clinics in areas where the need for help is very high so that those who have difficulty travelling to the centre can still access justice.   

John Sirodcar, National Relationship Director at the LSC, said: “This service will be vital.  It could mean the difference between losing and keeping a job or home, having regular access to your children or protection from a violent partner. 

“Therefore, we hope to attract a highly professional organisation or consortium who is able to provide joined-up legal services that respond to the everyday needs of those living and working in Wakefield.”

The tender closes at 12 noon on Friday 18 June.  Wakefield Council and the LSC will jointly decide on the successful bid.  More information is available from the tender page on the LSC website.

ENDS

More information

Legal Services Commission: Pamela Judge, tel 079 995 12823 
Wakefield Council press office: Sheryll Sadio, tel 01924 305202